Phan Thi Hue, head of the Legal Inspection Department under the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries, noted that the EC will not try to remove the ‘yellow card’ regarding the detection of fishing vessels encroaching in foreign waters. An EC report in May warned that it is likely to impose ‘a red card’ on Vietnamese seafood in the event that violations on fishing regulations are not handled in a quick manner. The EC has therefore highlighted Vietnamese determination and efforts to gradually reduce the number of fishing vessels violating regulations regarding IUU fishing in foreign waters located in the Pacific region. It also spoke highly of the country’s goodwill, co-operation, transparency, and honesty in providing information about the fishing vessel database, as well as issuing a legal framework in line with international standards towards sustainable and responsible fishery management and international integration. Despite this, IUU inspection missions to several localities … [Read more...] about Greater efforts aim to remove Vietnam from IUU fishing warning
French enterprises
Job centres step up efforts to help unemployed workers after Tet
A worker (right) given information on job vacancies at the Hanoi Job Marketplace (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - Employment service centres in big cities have increased capacity to help connect workers with vacancies after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. Nguyen Duc Hoang, an electrician in Hanoi, quit his job before the Tet holiday and has been doing a variety of part-time jobs since. He has been receiving unemployment insurance for three months. He went to the Hanoi Job Marketplace to find a more stable job with insurance and allowances. “Through the job marketplace, I was introduced to several jobs related to my profession, and I’m considering them,” said Hoang. Nguyen Thi Nhung, an accountant, also went to the Hanoi Job Marketplace to find out more information about recruitment after finishing an advanced professional course. “I already got the information I needed, and I am comparing companies’ conditions and remuneration," she said. Vu Quang Thanh, deputy director of the … [Read more...] about Job centres step up efforts to help unemployed workers after Tet
2022 Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day opens in Hanoi
AI4VN has been an annual programme organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology since 2018 (Photo: VietnnamPlus) Hanoi (VNA) - The 2022 Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day (AI4VN), themed “AI – Recovering the economy , shaping the future”, began in Hanoi on September 23. The forum was expected to serve as a venue for participants to share stories, and propose solutions to contribute to creating motivation for developing the AI ecosystem in Vietnam. This was also a good chance for the community to understand more about the application perspective to see how AI technology has changed people's lives. At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said AI4VN 2022 introduces artificial intelligence products from not only big and reputable enterprises but also small businesses, adding that this shows that technology will greatly change lives now and in the future. He stressed that Vietnam needs to make more efforts in the process of applying artificial intelligence … [Read more...] about 2022 Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day opens in Hanoi
Job centers step-up efforts to help unemployed workers after Tet
Nguyen Duc Hoang, an electrician in Hanoi, quit his job before the Tet holiday and has been doing a variety of part-time jobs since. He has been receiving unemployment insurance for three months. He went to the Hanoi Job Marketplace to find a more stable job with insurance and allowances. “Through the job marketplace, I was introduced to several jobs related to my profession, and I’m considering them,” said Hoang. Nguyen Thi Nhung, an accountant, also went to the Hanoi Job Marketplace to find out more information about recruitment after finishing an advanced professional course. “I already got the information I needed, and I am comparing companies’ conditions and remuneration," she said. Vu Quang Thanh, deputy director of the Hanoi Employment Service Centre, said that after the holiday, the Hanoi Job Marketplace re-opened on January 30. Thematic job introduction sessions would be held regularly this month, with many sessions for young people. He said that the labor … [Read more...] about Job centers step-up efforts to help unemployed workers after Tet
Lifelong love for suit tailoring
Tailoring is one of the oldest professions in Hanoi. What brought you to the profession? I am a second-generation descendant of a family with more than 70 years of working in this area. My father also opened a tailor shop specialising in serving foreigners in the 1950s, when the tailoring profession in Hanoi was still very primitive and the designs and fabrics were monotonous. Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil visits Van Hung Tailor Hanoi in the 1980s did not have many tailors. Tailoring as a profession was an ideal choice for young people who do not go to college. I studied sewing technology at school, now the Hanoi Vocational School of Cookery, Tourism, and Fashion. This is also the only training institution in tailoring supported by Germany, with only around 100 graduates per year. I was honoured to be one of the 10 best candidates to win a contest organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in conjunction with the Berlin Fashion Institute of … [Read more...] about Lifelong love for suit tailoring
Experts take stock of factors involved in market prospects
Domestic interest rates are beginning to cool somewhat, Le Toan As per the World Gold Council (WGC), in Vietnam, consumer demand for gold in Q4/2022 increased 58 per cent on-year to 13.5 tonnes, from 8.5 tonnes in Q4/2021. The rise was supported by a 48 per cent on-year increase in bar and coin demand over the same time frame from 6.1 tonnes to nine tonnes, and an 80 per cent on-year increase in jewellery demand from 2.5 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes. “Vietnam saw the greatest increase in annual gold demand among the ASEAN markets in 2022, with a 37 per cent rise compared to 2021. It also led in annual jewellery demand with a 51 per cent rise compared to 2021, taking it to a 14-year high of 18 tonnes,” said Andrew Naylor, the WGC’s CEO for Asia-Pacific (excluding China). “Several factors had an impact, including a slight decline in local gold prices in the fourth quarter, rising income levels as salary cuts were restored, and strengthening consumer confidence on the back of robust GDP … [Read more...] about Experts take stock of factors involved in market prospects
Tough times for real estate businesses
Difficulties clinging real estate businesses too weary The fourth quarter of 2022 was an extremely difficult period for real estate businesses when most had meagre business results, with record-high losses for many. In Ho Chi Minh City, Thuong Tin Real Estate JSC (TTC Land), in the fourth quarter of 2022, reported revenue of more than VND319 billion ($13.87 million), but financial revenue dropped sharply, making a gross profit of only $3.5 million. Although gross profit was positive, after-tax profit declined due to increasing financial expenses when the company recovered short-term. As a result, TTC Land suffered a loss of more than $3.95 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, a first loss since 2020. Also in the group of enterprises with record losses, LDG Investment JSC (LDG) reported revenue of nearly $2 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. However, due to the increase in selling and administrative expenses, LDG saw an after-tax loss of nearly $1.7 million, the first … [Read more...] about Tough times for real estate businesses
Vietnam’s rice increasingly preferred in UK
Consumers in the UK have been increasingly keen on Vietnam’s rice, especially after ST25 was honored as the best rice variety in the world in 2019, Nguyen Canh Cuong, trade counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. UK companies have paid much attention to Vietnam’s rice due to a higher demand in their country and incentives in the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA). In particular, the UK has waived the import tariff on Vietnam’s fragrant rice instead of imposing a 17.4-percent tax rate as earlier. Vietnam’s rice value on the rise According to statistics from the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK, the European country’s rice imports from Vietnam rose in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, before the UKVFTA took effect, Vietnam’s rice exports to the UK surged to some 3,400 metric tons worth US$2.67 million from nearly 1,300 metric tons in the previous year. Vietnam’s rice exports to the UK fell 20 percent in volume but inched up four percent … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s rice increasingly preferred in UK
Property loans in Vietnam top $51bn in 2022
As of the end of last year, the total outstanding loans for real estate projects in Vietnam hit over VND1,200 trillion (US$51.5 billion), according to the Ministry of Construction. Property enterprises borrowed some VND800 trillion ($34.1 billion) from banks and issued bonds worth roughly VND419 trillion ($17.9 billion) via private placement. In particular, banks offered loans worth about VND180.7 trillion ($7.7 billion) for urban area and housing projects in 2022, or 22.8 percent of the total loans for the real estate sector. In addition, loans for office for lease projects and industrial and export processing zones stood at more than VND41.8 trillion ($1.8 billion) and VND40.1 trillion ($1.7 billion), respectively. Meanwhile, investors of tourist site and resort projects asked for loans of nearly VND32.7 trillion ($1.4 billion). The figures were over VND57.5 trillion ($2.45 billion) for restaurant and hotel projects, VND144.2 trillion ($6.1 billion) for projects to build … [Read more...] about Property loans in Vietnam top $51bn in 2022